Some have tried the bricks and others have not. I use an aluminum pan with hot water in it. There is debate about that as well. I like it, so I use it. I am sure the bricks work to hold heat. How long or how well, ??? Different people like different ideas. I would say, if you can get some to try, go for it. If for some reason you don't like them, you can always pull them out. Most everyone I have seen or heard of using them, wrap them with foil to keep the grease out of them as they are porous and will soak up the grease.
I use the Maverick ET-73 remote thermometer. There is 2 probes, one for the cooking temperature, and one for the meat temperature. Also, it has low and high alarm temps. The alarms are great for keeping an "eye" on the cooking temps so you can add more fuel when the temps start to fall.
Bill